Author
Topic: Fishy Nemesis [T'vor] (Read 1036 times)

She stared down at the fish on the cutting board. At least it wasn’t alive and moving, she supposed. Equipped with a knife, she was met with the challenge of trying to skin and de-bone the thing. Of all the animals she’d ever cooked, fish seemed her nemesis. It wasn’t often that Sennia was simply –bad- at something. She firmly believed with enough practice she could do anything. Except impress a dragon. But skinning a fish?! How hard could it really be?

One of the cooks had been so reluctant to part with the large catch, murmuring under their breath how she was going to butcher a perfectly good fish.

This was the one chore most preferred Sennia did not do. Which, of course, meant she had to figure it out. She’d been shown how to separate it, how to skin it without ruining the cuts of meat. She even knew how to cut it with the skin on and descale it. In her mind, the movements were methodical and precise. In reality, the cuts were never clean, she got scales everywhere and the meat turned into clumps full of slender bones she couldn’t see until someone had pointed them out.

The cooks had reluctantly offered her two fish to practice on. The one in front of her, the other sitting ready off to the side. But no one moved to help. Of course, she’d already been labeled hopeless for this task. If she couldn’t learn in 5 turns of periodic attempts, it simply wasn’t going to happen. When asked, she proclaimed her reason for trying at all was stubbornness. But really, she needed something to do. And maybe she was loath to succeed in this because… then what was there for her? The challenge of slicing up a fish, albeit it petty and unimportant, was still a challenge. And it made her feel good, with every failure, that there was still something she –could- overcome but simply hadn’t. Not that she’d ever intentionally failed. But Sennia suspected that the multiple attempts held more satisfaction than when she’d actually manage to do it.

She laid the knife on the fish several times, trying to plan her cuts. Trying to envision just what it was supposed to look like and how it was supposed to go. All she needed was a clean cut behind the gills. But how far behind was it supposed to be? Finger width? Or did the knife need to be closer? Once she committed, that would be that. She’d tried, in a previous attempt, to re-slice but fish meat was too temperamental and fell apart when no longer attached to the rough scaly skin.

His senses were assaulted by the scent of freshy baked pasties. Sweet and yeasty, the smell reminded him of those rare occasions when his mother would bake up something special for a family member's name day. The temptation was too great to resist and he let his nose lead him to the pans of just out of the oven delights. One of the kitchen workers was carefully moving them off their pans and onto trays. "Light of my heart! I swear you grow more beautiful with each passing day." He slipped an arm around the woman's waist giving her his brightest smile. "You are so full of shit I'm surprised it ain't coming out o' your ears." She slapped away his free hand as it slipped toward a pasty. Trel yelped, sucking on a knuckle as he pouted. "Is that any way to treat a suitor?" The woman shook her head as she chuckled. "Young man the last time I had a suitor you were still in nappies." "Please, just one and I promise I'll help out with breakfast tomorrow morning." He pleaded, widening his eyes in a pleading expression. "Just one and I'd best see you here bright and early." She waved a finger at him as she spoke. "You are a gem!" Her kissed her cheek, snatching a warm pasty before moving off.

Trelanvor ambled through the kitchen as he pushed the last bite of pasty into his mouth. With something in his stomach he was ready to leave before he got roped into scrubbing pots or peeling vegetables. He'd get plenty of that tomorrow morning. As he neared the table where Sennia was he couldn't help but stare. She was holding a knife and staring down at a pair of fish. He would have dismissed it as some chore she'd been assigned, but no one would ever have her working on just two fish. She was also staring at them in a way that said she had no idea what she was suppose to do with them. It seemed odd that no one was helping her since she was obvious uncertain about how to proceed.

"You know I don't think they can bite ya now that they are dead. Or are you trying to will them into filleting themselves." His tone was teasing as he leaned against the table. He jabbed on of the fish with his finger. "Nope definitely dead." He wiped a bit of slime off in the table top. He should have been on his way, but he was curious. "Sooo care to reveal why your holding a knife and looming over two dead fish? I'd hate to think there was something fishy going on here." He smirked, blue eyes flashing with amusement.

Sennia was about to apply pressure to the fish some space behind the gills when someone next to her snapped her concentration and she faltered. Luckily she didn’t make the cut as she blushed hotly, looking to see who had come to torment her. He was recognizable but not someone she’d frequently spoken with. Trel? Trelanver? Her blush darkened when she couldn’t appropriately recall his name. When he made to touch the fish, she wisely moved the knife away. The last thing she needed was to accidentally cut him in her nervousness.

Whatever tension she’d felt at his approach melted at the very silly joke. Though her blush still colored her cheeks a shade of red, Sennia smiled and even laughed softly. “They’ll only let me practice on the two. I’m not very good at it.” She cast her attention back around the kitchen, finding no one really paying them much mind. “I grew up on a farm and I’d never really had the opportunity to practice on fish until I came here… Admittedly, that was 5 turns ago.” Her attention went back to the fish that seemed to taunt her with the fact it was still whole. She was far too tense to go cutting into anything, at this rate. Her back was rigid, the lines of her body taunt. Like she was standing on the edge of a cliff and, should she even breath too hard, she’d go tumbling off the side. At least she’d pulled back her brown hair to keep it from getting into her eyes. After all, Sennia had come to do battle with the fish. Sleeves rolled up, hair out of her eyes, and committed to cutting up the fish.

She just hoped not to ruin it this time. “I never remember how to cut it, or apply the right amount of pressure and end up with bones all throughout the meat. The cooks tell me that I’m an expert at ruining fish. I’ll be brewing klah for two nights for every fish I mess up.” It had been an agreeable exchange for the opportunity to practice and saved another of the staff a night. Maybe one of the reasons no one was keen on helping a seemingly hopeless case anymore. Sennia flicked her attention back to him, trying for the life of her to recall his name. Trenalvor? That didn’t seem right. While she was trying to figure it out, it came across that she was studying him a bit too intently. Not with any amount of distaste or disdain, but rather, a very obvious curiosity. Her eyes roamed his face, trying to place the name to his eyes and mess of dark blonde hair almost hiding them.

Trel nodded agreeably as Sennia explained what she was doing or actually not doing to the fish. He'd already surmised that she was having a bit of trouble with the task. Otherwise she wouldn't have been staring at two dead fish like someone cornered by a large and hungry feline. He could sympathize. He wasn't exactly fond of fish in their pre-cooked form. Cold and often slimy, their was little about a dead fish he could find appealing. The way they seemed to watch you even in death was also a bit off putting.

"Me to! Always did best with the furry and warm blooded. Don't really get much fish in land. Well not unless your some lord holder or something. Though mind you I'm not sure I'd fancy them even if I was one." He thoughtfully drummed a few fingers against the table top. It had taken him a number of mangled fish before he'd gained anything resembling skill when it came to dealing with them. As a beastcrafter he'd often had to dissect various animals in an attempt to discover what they may have died from and also to better understand how they worked. Fish of course were much different from a herdbeast or runner, though some of the insides were similar. The beastcrafter in him couldn't help but enjoying poking around at something's insides and figuring out what was what.

"Well your biggest problem is your too damn tense. Can't to anything right when your stiff as a board. So what ya ruin a few fish. Their already dead so I doubt they care too much about what's happening to them now." He looked back up at Sennia noting the intensity of her stare. He stared back, a corner of his mouth slowing sliding up into a smirk. "Liking what you see Sennia?" He drawled, propping his chin up on his fists. "You know we could always just skip this whole fish cutty uppy thing." Trel suggested with a knowing little wink. "Maybe we could find something to do that you are good at."

Happily Plotting For

7 Years 2 Month and 15 Days

M18+ Warning

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V'zire: You should be learning from a Harper, not me! *blushes at D'hys* :c O-oh, R'nd! I'm so sorry. I-I'd never mean to neglect you! If y-you'd like, you can come over tonight and we can catch up <3?04 Nov 2012 at 04:42 PM

R'nd: *likes V'zire around D'hys even less* V'zire, you should come hang out with me some more. You're neglecting a friend :( :(04 Nov 2012 at 03:09 PM

R'nd: *thinks D'hys and Indivara is an unholy union in the making*04 Nov 2012 at 03:08 PM

B'jin: *shrinks against R'nd and away from D'ren*17 Sep 2012 at 12:35 AM

D'ren: This is unbelievable. You should all be ASHAMED. Don't you know what is and is not appropriate for mixed company?17 Sep 2012 at 12:35 AM

R'nd: *kisses B'jin's forehead and wraps an arm around his waist to hold close* Thanks for defending me but with those guys, it's usually a wasted effort. They can twist anything to their amusement.17 Sep 2012 at 12:34 AM

Sanderon: Lym needs a healer and Sand needs a straightjacket. Feel free to join us in the 'Pacing the Cage' thread, anyone who is interested.26 Aug 2012 at 08:50 PM

Lymsleia: Ramling is ok26 Aug 2012 at 07:38 PM

Z: I seem to be rambling today.26 Aug 2012 at 07:17 PM

Z: Except for maybe Talian, the others may not be able to tell...yet.26 Aug 2012 at 02:38 PM

Z: Each person that Sanderon just tagged might see a hint of his mental/emotional state. Talian's hint is a little more straight forward. In the timing of things, he sees your characters in this order, Talian, Jada, Apari, Lym.26 Aug 2012 at 02:37 PM

Jada: "And if you pull out a knife, or open your mouth again in one of your great speeches, I will drag you away by your ear for Krypth to, and don't think I don't want the excuse to get away from this debacle!"17 Aug 2012 at 06:25 PM

Z: She has a good heart.17 Aug 2012 at 05:58 PM

Z: Lymsleia is awesome. :)17 Aug 2012 at 05:39 PM

Sanderon: Being a distraction to N'gelt right now Lymsleia is only prolonging my agony. Thanks but knock it off. I want to get this over with as quickly as possible.17 Aug 2012 at 05:03 PM

Jada: Lym, your idiotic attempt to bring people together will do it- bring them into thinking you a fool. Us versus them is only made more obvious when you speak against treating the Northerners the same as the Katilans.17 Aug 2012 at 04:59 PM

Featherpirate: Baha you don't NEED your chars to be lashed you silly :P Though it is fun.16 Aug 2012 at 12:44 AM

Sexilicious: Jada could be lashed. But I don't know what she could do to get in trouble... and Far doesn't want to run away. Maybe E'kan kidnaps some pretty lady from up North... ;;;;16 Aug 2012 at 12:06 AM